CHAARG [Changing Health Attitudes and Actions to Recreate Girls] is a women’s health and wellness fitness organization that started as a school club at The Ohio State University in 2012. Elisabeth Tavierne had the idea for this club after going to the gym and seeing a divide; girls on the treadmills and ellipticals, and boys in the weight room. Elisabeth left the gym with one goal in mind: start a health and fitness club that will liberate girls from the elliptical.
Flash forward 5+ years later, CHAARG has grown into a LLC with 50+ chapters at schools nationwide. Over the years, 27,000 girls have been members of CHAARG.
Sarah Clem, Director of Chapter Expansion and Sarah Jankowski (SJ), Community Manager, tell me what it’s like being the “faces” of this organization. Sarah found out about CHAARG through a friend at the Ohio State chapter & was the first girl to expand CHAARG to another university, becoming an ambassador at University of Cincinnati. SJ, also at UC, found out about CHAARG her freshman year & instantly fell in love. The following two years she was on the exec team as secretary and became ambassador her last year. Now, they both work full-time at CHAARG HQ in Chicago!
Have you always been interested in fitness?
Sarah: I’ve always been an active person and grew up playing sports [basketball, softball] as well as riding horses. Unfortunately I lacked any sort of hand-eye coordination, so I started to run cross country in 7th grade. I loved being on a team and the family I found through running [you have to have a certain level of *crazy* to love cross country running]. I didn’t really start to learn to love *fitness* until I was a senior in High School and started working with a personal trainer. I loved the challenge of different weight lifting workouts, the motivation of becoming stronger and how good I felt after every workout.
SJ: I grew up playing tennis pretty competitively so I always loved being active and being surrounded by others who loved being active. However, when I stopped playing tennis as often and went to college, I had no idea what fitness looked like without the sport. College truly sparked my interest in fitness — inside and outside of the gym. I will say that I went to my first yoga class in the 8th grade, and I was obsessed.
What’s your favorite workout?
Sarah: I love barre/pilates style workouts that use a lot of pulsing exercises and light weights. The burn is SO real during those! I also love high-intensity boot camp-style workouts that integrate treadmill running with weights [Orangetheory classes, Barry’s Bootcamp classes, etc]. I love working out with other people — so classes are always a win for me!
SJ: Barre class! I love a studio called Barre3 that I found in Cincinnati during college — we surprisingly don’t have a studio in Chicago yet, so I am patiently waiting for it to come to Chi! I’ve also fallen in love with running this past year. I ran my first marathon in the fall, and I’m hooked.
Favorite indulgent snack // meal?
Sarah: Chocolate Chip Cookies fa sho’ — I have a huge sweet tooth : ) and Pequod’s Pizza [Chicago deep dish]… I use this to celebrate special occasions [even if that’s just a nice Friday night in with friends].
SJ: Ice cream — I always have some in my freezer and treat myself to a few bites after dinner nearly every night. Everything is okay in moderation. I have found if I eat a few bites every night, it helps me avoid any huge binges [like eating the entire pint!].
What’s your favorite book?
Sarah: It’s really hard to pick just ONE book for me! The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle was life-changing, and I can see the impacts it has had on my everyday life [and those close to me notice it too!]. Since I really can’t pick a favorite, I’m just going to list the last few I’ve read and what’s on the top of my head.
- Meditations – Marcus Aurelius
- Turning the Mind into an Ally – Sakyong Mipham
- Ego is the Enemy – Ryan Holiday and the Obstacle is the Way – Ryan Holiday
- A Return to Love – Marianne Williamson
- Love Does – Bob Goff
SJ: The Power Of Now changed my life. It is so applicable to every facet of life, articulates the benefits of being “present” in our everyday lives and how constantly thinking about the past/future can lead to anxieties and unhappiness because this moment is the only moment that truly matters. I also LOVE coffee table books — In The Company Of Women is one of my favorite books to page through.
Why do you CHAARG?
Sarah: I CHAARG because I believe when we are living our best life, those around us will be inspired to do so too. It’s a chain reaction. When I am confident in my body, making positive choices to fuel my life and surrounding myself with women who seek to empower each other, everyone else notices. I believe that being a part of CHAARG encourages my family, friends [men and women!] to also live their healthiest and happiest lives, too.
SJ: I CHAARG because I want to continue to grow mentally, physically and emotionally every single day. If I am passionate about becoming a better version of myself, I can contribute more to my community and my relationships.
What’s your favorite CHAARG memory?
Sarah: This is so hard. At the end of every National Retreat and Leadership Retreat that we’ve ever had, we encourage the women there to stand up and share. They can share about their own CHAARG journey, what they’ve learned from the weekend, what they hope to implement in their everyday lives– anything. I don’t think I’ve ever walked away from people sharing without tears in my eyes and this joy in my heart to be a part of something so powerful.
SJ: It was my last event as Ambassador, and we had a weekend retreat out of town. It was so special to experience the community that I had been a part of and lead for the past years on a more intimate level. I know I wasn’t totally losing CHAARG [since I am now on the National Team], but I knew I would really miss my UC CHAARG family.
What’s your favorite thing about CHAARG?
Sarah: My favorite thing about CHAARG is the community and opportunities it provides to women. Finding a community of women that are committed to building each other up, making positive choices and trying new things together is so important — especially during our transition phases of life [college, post-grad, etc]. The opportunities that come with finding a community like that — the experiences that come with having a support system that encourage you to step out of your comfort zone — are incredible and give you skills that last long beyond college!
SJ: My favorite thing about CHAARG [besides the incredible community!] is the opportunity it gives girls to truly find their fit. It provides the opportunity to try workouts and studios that girls may be too intimidated to try on their own.
What is it like to work for a company that inspires thousands of girls?
Sarah: Freakin’ awesome. I am surrounded by thousands of women who are working towards being the best version of themselves… the amount of positivity, love and genuine kindness that I see every single CHAARG girl spread is infectious and always pushes me to work towards living as my highest self.
SJ: SO INCREDIBLE. I cannot imagine myself having any other “job” right now — it truly never seems like work when I am surrounded by so many incredible women in the office, virtually, on Instagram, etc.
Fave quote?
Sarah: See the light in others and treat them as if that is all you see. – Dr. Wayne Dryer
SJ: If you are interested in something, not matter what it is, go at it full speed. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all, become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good. – Roald Dahl